This invention relates to apparatus for applying lubricant to a rail of a railroad track, and more particularly to what is referred to in the art as a wiper bar, viz. an applicator for mounting on a rail for application of lubricant thereto as, for example, in a so-called wayside lubrication system, and to the assembly of the wiper bar and rail.
Reference may be made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,348,120 and 5,394,958 for a dissertation on rail lubrication and disclosure of rail lubrication systems and wiper bars used therein.
The present invention has been developed as an improvement over the wiper bar or applicator and its assembly with a rail involved in the co-assigned pending utility U.S. Patent Application of Thomas M. Arens, David C. Beck, Paul G. Conley, Ayzik Grach and Fred Leers Ser. No. 09/961,706 entitled Railroad Track Lubrication and Monitoring Thereof, which is based on Provisional Application Serial No. 60/287,587, filed Sep. 22, 2000, and incorporated herein by reference. It may also be regarded as an improvement on the wiper bar and the bar/rail assembly of the U.S. patents noted above. While the applicator (wiper bar) of the aforesaid co-assigned utility and provisional application and the bar/rail assembly thereof has been generally satisfactory, it has been determined that the wiper bar is subject to the problem of being damaged or destroyed. if the rail on which it is used is worn down or if it is subject to the passage of railroad vehicle wheels with relatively long flanges (flanges which are wider due to wheel wear). In some instances, wheel flanges are as much as one-half inch longer than the flanges on new wheels and have more flattened sides instead of sides at a 10xc2x0 angle such as characteristic of the flanges of new wheels.
Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision of an improved wiper bar and wiper bar and rail assembly resistant to destruction and/or damage due to a worn-down condition of the rail of the railroad track on which the wiper bar is used and/or due to passage of a railroad vehicle having worn-down wheels with prolonged flanges, or flanges with flattened sides, due to wear; the provision of a wiper bar and wiper bar and rail assembly having a manifold which has multiple lubricant outlets for delivery of lubricant for lubricating the rail head and which is resistant to crushing closed of the outlets on account of the conditions noted; and the provision of such a wiper bar and wiper bar/rail assembly of relatively economical construction, relatively economical to install, and relatively long-lived.
In general, the wiper bar of the invention comprises a wiper bar for application to a rail of a railroad track in a system for applying lubricant to the head of the rail. The wiper bar comprises an elongate manifold having inside and outside faces. A plurality of lubricant outlets are spaced at intervals along the length of the manifold for discharge of lubricant at said intervals. The manifold is passaged for flow of lubricant to the outlets. An elongate guide extends up above the manifold for confronting the gage face of the head of a rail and guiding lubricant discharged from the outlets up between said guide and gage face.
The wiper bar/rail assembly of the invention generally comprises a wiper bar as set forth in the previous paragraph mounted on a rail extending lengthwise of the rail alongside the web of the rail adjacent the gage face of the rail.
Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.